India's youngest climber leaves to scale Everest

Arjun Bajpayee, who at 16 hopes to become the youngest climber in the world to scale the world's tallest summit, 8,848 metre high Mount Everest, has left for the region to start his ascent.

Bajpayee will be in strong contention with a Californian teenager Jordan Romero for the honours who becomes the youngest atop the peak.

The 13-year-old Californian boy has a burning ambition of reaching the summit of the highest peaks on all seven continents  and would attempt the peak with his father.

In his quest, Bajpayee is currently acclimatising himself on the Lobuche East peak (6,119) near the Everest base camp.

The Indian climber is aiming to reach Mt Everest along with record climber of Nepal Apa Sherpa being a member of his Eco Everest 2010 Expedition. The young climber would begin his ascent towards the Summit from the base camp from April 18.

Apa, who has already scaled Everest for 19th times is aiming to climb the peak for 20th times this spring breaking his own record.

Another female mountaineer from India, Bhagya Shree Shawant, 18, who is currently in the capital will also join the team soon.

Apa is aiming to take the ashes of famed New Zealand climber Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to stand atop Everest, and scatter them on top of the peak.

The expedition also aims to bring 7,000 kg of garbage from Mt Everest as part a cleaning campaign. 

The current record holder for the youngest to have climbed the peak is a 16-year-old Nepalese Sherpa Temba Tsheri, who lost his five fingers in the bid due to frostbite.